Peek into the lives of these dynamic duos who slay, play, and stay together.
Written by Paula Magrini
Photography by Adam Kuehl
Hair/makeup: Dawn Angeletti, Lalka Beauty Co.
Wardrobe consultant/stylist: Critter Pierce
Location: The Malin Savannah
It’s not as easy as it may look. Although these high-performing duos appear calm, cool, and collected around the clock, they’re actually navigating a complex web of histories, hijinks, and hurdles that comes with the demands of having it all.
Todd & Jan Womble
Savannah Logistics Group
One laptop, four trucks, and 20 years of relevant experience. These elements were the ground floor of the freight logistics company Todd Womble dared to launch nine years ago along the Savannah River. When he shared this vision with his wife, Jan, she said, “Sounds good; you just need to make the same amount of money you’re bringing home now.”
Jan’s wishes became Todd’s inaugural budget, and he didn’t disappoint. Fast forward to 2026, and his thriving business, Savannah Logistics Group (SLG), now operates 93 rigs, employs more than 60 team members — who all have laptops — and ranks among the top local freight companies. Their daily operations center around the Port of Savannah, where they retrieve, deliver, and store products ranging from raw rubber to flooring material, textiles, lumber, and more.
As CEO of the $30 million enterprise, Todd recognizes the importance of company culture for his people-centric business. “We impact a lot of lives, and our employees need to feel a sense of responsibility for everyone in the supply chain, especially their coworkers,” he says.
By appointing Jan as SLG’s chief people officer, the role that oversees HR and employee benefits, Todd not only elevated employee attitudes, but he also leveled up his own productivity as well. “She has a way with people,” he says. “She’s genuinely beautiful inside and out and is quick to positively influence our team.”
Todd and Jan agree they work better together, which is about 90% of the time. When they have to divide and conquer, they’re anxious to reconnect. Jan describes her husband as sexy, savvy, and a company founder who thinks outside the box. “Sometimes he’s like a pressure cooker, steaming up under stress,” Jan says. “I remind him this is what we prayed for.”
Jan and Todd place a premium on company loyalty and collaboration. After all, many of their hires are the stewards of hundreds of thousands of dollars in valuable freight and also the drivers of SLG’s big-ticket trucks.
The freight business can be volatile, and days often stretch to 16 or 18 hours due to unexpected hurdles and the need to entertain clients. They rely on an executive coach to help them hone their time management skills at work. At home, they depend on each other to balance their personal lives.
The Wombles savor their quiet evenings together and love a quick trip to the Bahamas or other tropical locales. The fit, fashionable couple has eight grandchildren with another on the way. Jan had a daughter and two sons and Todd was the father of two boys when they met 17 years ago at a neighborhood birthday party. Their chemistry was instant, and Todd returned to the soiree after departing with friends; both insist his coming back made all the difference.
Todd and Jan have endured the rigors of entrepreneurship and raised a large blended family. Recently, Jan underwent a proactive prophylactic double mastectomy after an aggressive breast cancer gene surfaced, putting their faith and relationship to the test. Even though they’re clearly relationship warriors, Todd predicts things will get even better. “I don’t think we’ve reached our full potential as a couple yet,” he says. “There’s still a deeper level of relationship ahead.”
Scott & Amy Pierce
Coastal Care Partners
Savannah native and former WJCL news anchor Scott Pierce says it was his paddleboard that repeatedly lured him back to the Coastal Empire after he relocated to Atlanta. But it was much more than a waterfront pastime that realigned his life 10 years ago and led him to marry Amy and create Coastal Care Partners, a hybrid health care solutions company now thriving in Savannah and neighboring Bluffton, South Carolina.
A quick rewind of the events that inspired Scott and Amy to take the leap into entrepreneurship begins with aging parents in distress. When Scott’s dad encountered a heart health emergency, Scott and Amy rushed to his side. Both recently divorced, the two had been introduced by Savannah friends. Luckily, Amy was a local hospice nurse. She understood the scope of recovery care Scott’s dad faced. Scott’s mom needed support, too, for her Parkinson’s disease and burgeoning dementia.
Amy’s compassion fueled the new relationship. “How am I going to manage all the health care long distance?” Scott asked. Amy gently advised it would take more than a primary care doctor. Together they realized the option they sought didn’t fully exist in Savannah. They could hire a nurse to manage all the doctors’ appointments, but what if round-the-clock home care was needed? How would health insurance play into the daunting formula?
These questions eventually inspired the couple’s brainchild, Coastal Care Partners. The company has quickly become an invaluable health care resource for seniors in our area. Coastal Care Partners opened in 2018 after Scott returned permanently to Savannah. He and Amy married, taking on not only the roles of husband, wife, and parents of four but also new professional titles: Amy is the company CEO, while Scott wears the COO hat.
“When we started out, Amy managed health care for just three or four families,” Scott explains. That grew exponentially thanks to their candid marketing approach and Amy’s reliable nursing network. Coastal Care Partners now has a team of 350-plus. The service menu has grown to include nurse-managed care, in-home care, adult concierge primary care, urgent care access, and a wellness advisory resource.
The secret to their ongoing success has been Scott and Amy’s complementary skill sets. A striking example of yin and yang, the two visionaries have forged a highly productive relationship with each other, as well as with their peers, patients, and customers.
“Scott is on top of technology and steering every aspect of our operations,” Amy says. “He and I are both on hand for every staff orientation session to share our vision.” The two are relentlessly committed to employee fit.
“It’s rare to find a nurse who is clinically savvy, genuinely compassionate, and focused on customer experience,” Scott shares. “Amy creates an instant connection with people. They trust her and value her recommendations.”
The two are in constant communication as they nurture their evolving company. With sights set on Tampa, Florida; Charleston, South Carolina; and other retirement meccas, they hope to expand their unique business model and reimagine the health care experience, just as they’ve reimagined their own personal journeys.
T. James & Wendy Bennett
TWD Real Estate Investment and B Net Management
“Our relationship is rooted in friendship,” Wendy Bennett concludes as she thoughtfully summarizes her 25-year marriage to James. “The foundation of friendship makes it easier to navigate family, business, life, or anything head-on.” She admits there are days when she and James might not necessarily like each other, yet they always work things out.
“I’m the Gemini with a double-edged personality, both aggressive and passive,” James says. “She’s the Libra, calm and relaxed. Wendy maintains the balance.” Their opposing dispositions pave the way for juggling an overwhelming number of professional roles.
Wendy is the VP, CFO, restaurant owner, and family muse. James is CEO, president, primary business owner, and executive visionary. Together they manage and grow the multiple companies they’ve established since they relocated to Savannah from Kingston, Jamaica, over three decades ago. Their journey has taken many fascinating twists and turns, all leading them to entrepreneurial success and a notable impact on Savannah’s Black community.
The Bennetts’ primary companies include B Net Management, a property management business; TWD Real Estate Investment, a portfolio of more than 200 units including apartment complexes, single family homes, and commercial properties; and J&R Enterprises Savannah (dba) Kool Vibes Pizza and Wings, owned by Wendy.
The Bennetts’ clients range in age from 18 to mid-70s, and their companies are geared toward leasing and selling to first-time renters and home buyers. James and Wendy have also launched a number of community organizations, such as JB Flip Savannah Youth Entrepreneurs Program and other mentorship platforms. They actually employ graduates of these programs, some of whom began training at just 12 years old.
“My goal is to share my real estate knowledge with the younger members of my community so they can have what I have,” James explains. “Real estate is an investment that gives you time; it’s not like crypto or some of the other modern means that are fickle and less dependable for building legacy.”
James is a graduate of Jamaica’s Kingston College, and he graduated summa cum laude from Saint Leo University in Florida with a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems. He earned his degrees while serving in the Army and deployed in locations around the world. Occasionally, his military duties conflicted with his studies, though he maintained a 4.0 GPA.
“When he was in Korea, we started a retail business and sold Korean products at local flea markets,” Wendy shares. With James’ tech skills, the business was among the area’s first to move into the e-commerce arena. “That’s when we really started earning,” Wendy says. It allowed them to start purchasing and building their real estate business.
Juggling their companies while maintaining a marriage and raising a family is daunting, the Bennetts agree, so they’re intentional when it comes to coordinating their daily schedules. Weekday evenings always include some movie streaming time after they’ve discussed business topics. It’s a sentimental pastime, since the two went on their first date at the local movie theater in their hometown in Jamaica.
Spending time with their kids is a priority in the family feng shui. The oldest, Tyrese, a Savannah College of Art and Design graduate, works with Wendy to steer marketing for Kool Vibes Pizza. Daughters Kylie and Hailey attend Calvary Day School, adding performing arts and sports events to the family calendar.
James and Wendy’s commitment to each other, their family, and their strong faith is the centerpiece of the Bennetts’ remarkable ability to “slay and stay” together, no matter what challenges appear in their winding path. According to James, “Every decade is like a new marriage for us.”
Jane Vaden Thacher & Peter Thacher
Vaden Automotive
“On our third date, Peter informed me that he’d never move to Savannah or be in the car business,” Jane Vaden Thacher recalls as she and Peter shared memories of their early courtship.
The two met on a triple date while in relationships with other people who thankfully moved on, since it’s clear the Thachers couldn’t be more perfectly suited for one another. They married three years later, in 1992.
Jane and Peter were an Atlanta power couple before they were 30 years old. After completing her master’s degree at the University of Georgia, Jane was promptly hired by Ketchum, one the country’s top public relations firms. Peter was a writer for Ted Turner brands, including CNN, the Braves, the Hawks, and others. He refers to himself as a low-key country guy, so he could tolerate an occasional visit to Savannah and coastal Georgia.
“My parents never asked us to move to Savannah, but they made it appealing,” Jane explains. Although she was determined to blaze her own trail and “go where no one knew my name,” once Atlanta’s Interstate 400 opened, Jane’s daily commute went from 15 minutes long to an hour and a half. Suddenly, metropolitan living lost its allure.
Peter knew how close Jane was with her family, so in June 1994, he lovingly broke his promise to bypass the Hostess City — and the car business. After a celebratory road trip west, they moved in with Jane’s parents. Jane became a finance director at the original family dealership, Dan Vaden Chevrolet, while Peter joined the service department. He eventually became a company vice president.
Their early days at the dealership were a stark contrast to the polish of Ketchum and CNN. “Our offices were in a double wide,” Jane says. “I really think my father was testing us.” If it was a test, the couple passed with flying colors as Jane quickly climbed the Vaden ladder to become the dealer operator of a second dealership at 34, six years ahead of the age her dad was when he operated his first dealership at 40.
While more dealerships were added — there are currently 14: 10 in Georgia and four in South Carolina — Peter rotated to different locations to ensure a family presence and support client relations for the company, which had evolved to Vaden Automotive. “Jane and I were constantly in meetings together and decisions were made collaboratively, though our day-to-day charges were different,” he says.
Meanwhile, duties on the homefront had changed dramatically with the arrival of their son, Jack, followed by their twin daughters, Blake and Sarah, who were born just months before Jane opened her first solo dealership, Coastal Chevrolet, stepping into the milestone role of dealer operator in addition to company president. The family supported Jane’s demanding schedule with occasional nanny help, expert multitasking, and strategically scheduled family trips.
“Those years were a blur,” Jane admits. During that era, she was particularly grateful for Peter’s thoughtful communication, sense of humor, and “most of all, his ability to push me out of my comfort zone.” When the twins had just turned 5, Peter organized a Costa Rica expedition, and everyone hiked the terrain no matter how young they were. Since then, there have been countless other adventures spearheaded by Peter.
He realizes Jane is wound tight (in her own words) and super competitive while on the job, so evenings are when the couple winds down — at least until 4 a.m., when their workday begins again.
“We don’t do a lot of formal dinners,” Peter says. “Jane is likely to call during work hours and ask, ‘Do we have any romaine at home?’” The couple takes it one hour at a time as they navigate the whirlwind days at Vaden Automotive.
Their relaxed rapport and steadfast faith in each other has anchored their relationship over the years, and they’re now committed to onboarding the third generation of Vadens. At 25, Jack is preparing for a future leadership role. He’s exploring operations and other departments at Vaden Automotive, which has become a regional industry leader that continues to unite this family in all the best — and sometimes unexpected — ways.
Jay Massey & James Martin
Massey Martin Design
Interior designers Jay Massey and James Martin may have uncovered the consummate secret for couples who power through work and relationships together. “Stay focused on the core things that brought you together and nourish them,” Jay suggests. He and James describe their journey to mutual harmony within their professional and private spheres.
“We’re both principals at Massey Martin, but we do it all,” explains James. “While we’re in sync with motives, goals, and calendars on a daily basis, our skills and experience are different.”
“James manages the process,” Jay says. “He’s the master of the details, while I’m the editor — or, you might say, the critic.”
Their dovetailed collaboration allows Jay and James to be themselves while creating iconic residential environments that are both timeless and deeply personal. “Our work is layered with traditional elements and modern ease,” James says. Their respective talents have become catalysts in their rapid rise to recognition by Savannah’s discerning design community. The duo opened an antiques shop on West Charlton Street in 2024, further defining their signature footprint.
It’s no surprise that a historical restoration project brought the two together in Savannah in 2013. While transforming an older apartment complex into more traditional town and carriage homes, they fell in love with the assignment and then each other. Two years later, they launched their design studio, leaving past careers in the rearview mirror.
Even so, their resumes merit some mention. A graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, James earned both his undergraduate and master’s degrees in architecture and historic preservation. He was drawn to Savannah’s history and graceful vernacular while spending childhood days on Hilton Head Island.
His career led him to the Northeast, where he became a senior associate at Franck and Lohsen Architects in Washington, D.C., before returning to Savannah with refined skills and perspective.
Meanwhile, Jay, a native of Savannah, studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and began his career in the performing arts, later spending several years in Los Angeles’ music industry. His passion for the arts influences his design style: layered, expressive, and rooted in distinctive narrative.
Despite their different paths, their design strategy has converged in a custom and caring approach with their clients. From start to finish, Jay and James are both fully engaged with client preferences, selections, and overall lifestyles. They smoothly navigate day-to-day encounters, even when that entails juggling six dogs in a photo shoot or working around multiple carpool schedules.
They do get away occasionally, traveling to destinations like southern France to replenish their antiques inventory or simply commuting over the Talmadge Bridge for an escape to Hilton Head’s Sea Pines Resort. Jay and James also devote time to relationship wellness by meeting regularly with their life coach, whose specialty is the art of communication.
Their clients frequently point out that the couple spends a lot of time with each other, so they realize the boundaries between work and play can blur. Maybe that’s the one casualty of nourishing the core thing that united them in the first place: a love for designing together.
We photographed our power couples at the newly opened workspace The Malin Savannah (119 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.). Founded and designed by SCAD alums, The Malin Savannah spans 10,000 square feet across two floors in the Historic District, including the Springfield Library and Charlton Room, where these portraits were taken.
